Five great Wolverine stories perfect for the next film

(CBR) After “The Wolverine” proved audiences both international and domestic are still up for more slicing and dicing Hugh Jackman action, it was a no-brainer when Fox announced that it is prepping a follow-up film with returning director James Mangold. No matter the outcome of 2014’s very apocalyptic “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” Wolverine will be back for more.

But before Jackman signs on for his seventh feature length outing as Logan, the actor has gone on record with one requirement for the next sequel: “I think we’ve got a great opportunity to make something really cool,” the actor stated in an interview. “It has to be great. That’s what we’re all working toward.”

With that in mind, here are five great Wolverine stories, spanning a variety of genres, all of which are practically begging to get the Mangold/Jackman big screen treatment.

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Hugh Jackman’s old enough at this point that they could easily do a pretty interesting movie about his relationship with Wolverine’s children–the literal (Daken) or more metaphorical (X-23)…or both.

(And yes, I know how old Hugh Jackman looks doesn’t necessarily correspond with how old Wolverine is, but I think it matters at least a little on screen.)

By: joel

11.26.2013 @ 6:41 AM

The Wolverine was a pretty miserable misfire of what should have been a rock-solid classic Wolverine story. The original Wolverine movie was a total abomination. That was so bad it doesn’t even merit critique.

If Jackman wants to do “something really cool,” how about a Wolverine story that gets the character right and doesn’t treat the overall narrative like it’s written for nine-year-olds? Of course this requires the dismissive jackasses running Fox not to meddle in the project and for everyone on board to take it remotely seriously. But if Bryan Singer could get Wolverine 100% right twice, I’m sure Mangold could do it right once. I think he’s got a grip on the character, it’s the story revolving around Wolverine he really needs to refine.

By: Chesterfield

11.26.2013 @ 8:49 AM

If you have the opportunity to make a movie with ninjas, why not make a movie with ninjas?
So it’s Enemy of the State, then. Although, that Mystique thing actually sounds pretty cool, handled correctly.

By: Doug

11.26.2013 @ 3:25 PM

I thought Enemy of the State was Hydra brainwashing Wolverine and unleashing him on the Marvel Universe? The idea of The Hand (The Black Clan in the comics) kidnapping him and brainwashing him was an idea Claremont had had, but they never followed through on. It would have made Wolverine the X-Men’s #1 villain for like a year’s worth of stories or something like that. Marvel kind of ripped off his idea when they turned Logan into Apocalypse’s Horseman Death for “The Twelve” storyline.

By: Chesterfield

11.26.2013 @ 3:34 PM

@DOUG: I read off the descriptions in the gallery. the only Wolverine comic i remember reading was one where he spent most of the issue nailed to a St Andrew’s Cross (an X) and then ended up just ripping the nails through his palms.

Anyway, the gallery spoke of ninjas and then everything went dark…

By: Doug

11.26.2013 @ 3:41 PM

@Chesterfield – No worries. My comment was meant as part correction of the story and part confirmation of my own memory. There are so many similar Wolverine stories out there, I was making sure I had it right.

The crucifixion scene from that story was great. A neat period for Wolverine as Claremont made his healing factor faulty for a while after that.

By: Chesterfield

11.26.2013 @ 7:07 PM

@DOUG: That’s a Claremont issue? Hmm, I might have to look into that stuff a little bit, I like the character and I remember it as being pretty badass.

By: Doug

11.26.2013 @ 9:03 PM

@Chesterfield – Yeah, the Reavers put Logan in that predicament. This was in…1988-89 when the X-Men were believed dead and hiding out in Australia. Wolverine was going off on his own to star in his solo book and when he returned one day he got a nasty surprise.

By: Victor

11.30.2013 @ 12:29 PM

#1.) X-men Origins:Wolverine pretty much sucked. It was a multiple-villian origin movie rather than what the title offered. They should have used Barry Windsor-Smith’s “Weapon X” XM:OW, rather than consult a panel of marketing executives. A Wolverine film that points to his origins, the way that X2 did has yet to be made.

#2.) I got up from The Wolverine thinking that it was time to make Wolverine vs. Hulk. Both characters need the exposure and audiences need to see more of Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk without spending more money on yet another solo Hulk movie.